Friday, March 28, 2014

"The voice of the sea speaks to the soul."

   The ocean has always spoken to my soul and I've been missing it very much, being born and raised in Southern CA. Even though these photos are from Northern CA in Monterey, they're still from the very same beautiful Pacific Ocean!


   I knew right away that I wanted to scrap these photos when I saw this awesome sketch #111 from Sketchabilities.

I also took my inspiration from this image used for the March challenge @ Artastic Challenge Blog.


   I started this page with kraft cardstock, which I applied gesso to in the center and sprayed it with some Glimmer Mists.Then I did some stamping and more gesso work, with more misting. The edges have been randomly embossed with Ranger Distress Embossing Powders  (Walnut stain and Brushed Corduroy) and finished with a touch of real sand. Here's a closer look at some of the texture and colors.


  The quote was typed in Photoshop and printed onto light blue vellum, and glued over the little file folder which was stamped first. The quote was the twist for the March Four Categories Challenge @ Scrapbook.com for Category 4 to create a LO about an animal.



   I used strips of packing paper which I crumpled and misted before stitching over the netting. Then I just added my flowers which I lightly covered with gesso, and sprinkled some sea shells. Thanks for looking!

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Inspirational #113 ~ Very Vintage

   Happy Thursday! It's time for another stamping challenge @ Red Rubber Inspirationals! This week Mary Anne is hosting Inspirational #113 ~ to create a vintage card. Here's the sample that I made.


I took my inspiration from sketch #5 used for the March Card Sketch Challenge @ Scrapbook.com.



   I started with some kraft cardstock and inked it with Distress inks. Then I stamped over it using  the Script Background stamp with water. It gave it a great aged and subtle look. I used Palette Inks (Bordeaux, Claret, and Violete) to stamp the Victorian Embellishments that I finished with french knots in the center. Around that I stamped and embossed the Fabulous Frames using Ranger gold embossing powder. I also used it to emboss the buttons and scalloped dots on the bottom using the Circles of love stamp set. The purple layer behind the stamping was sprayed and misted with Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays, which I also used to color the lace. After water distressing the edges I sewed them down with my sewing machine using gold metallic thread.


Be sure to visit the Red Rubber Inspirational blog for details! I hope to see you there!



Thursday, March 20, 2014

Inspirational #112 ~ Color in the lines

I'm hosting this week @ Red Rubber Inspirationals , with Inspirational #112 to color in the lines of your stamping using inks, chalks, markers, paints, colored pencils, Stickles, etc. I scrapped these photos of Eagle Falls in Lake Tahoe, to compliment the Majestic Mountain stamp set using the Willoughby Patterned Cardstock Collection.



I started by inking my image with Ranger Archival Ink (potting soil) and Palette Inks (landscape and jardin moss). Then I used Pebbles Inc. chalks to color in the mountains, rocks, and sky. I finished it off with Stickles (stardust) on the snow and waterfall, and (lime green) for the centers of the flowers.


I stamped the large flowers using the Nothing is better stamp and colored the centers with brown chalk. For some texture I embossed the Speckle background over the centers using Distress Embossing Powder (vintage photo). The smaller flowers were stamped and water distressed using Pressed Flowers. I stamped "eagle" using Distressed Typewriter Bet. I used gesso and Tim Holtz' Stripes Stencil to make the waterfall on the right, and the Cargo Stencil to write "falls" with a white pen.


The bark is from Mother Nature herself, which I thought would be perfect for a nature page to use the colors green and brown for Category 2 in the March Four Categories Challenge @ Scrapbook.com. This also my entry for the March Creative Titles Challenge .
And for Rochelle Spears March Tic Tac Toe Challenge.

I used the first row on top.
bird ~ the sticker of an eagle Bo bunny (trailmix)
border strips ~ I used 4 strips of pp 
paint ~ I used Ranger Dabber (lettuce) on the green paper and brown glimmer mist.

Thanks for looking!


Sunday, March 16, 2014

Happy Birthday Dad ~ Red Rubber Designs DT

Happy Birthday Dad!! Today is my Dad's birthday but we celebrated it last night. Here's the card that I made for him.


I was inspired by sketch #3 used for the March Card Sketch Challenge @ Scrapbook.com.


I finally broke into my Prima (Craftsman Collection) to make this card. My Dad is a general contractor so I actually bought this line with him in mind, even though I've been hoarding it. I used gesso, some glimmer mists, drywall tape, buttons, screws, nails, and bolts to get the texture on here. The gears were hand cut and painted in silver with a bit of embossing powder over them (Lindy's Stamp Gang Midnight Pewter Obsidian).
I machine stitched the zigzag over the banner and added the chain which was also embossed with the same Lindy's embossing powder. I finished it off with the happy birthday sentiment (Sophisticated Sentiments) from Red Rubber Designs stamped with Palette Ink (Prussian Blue).

Saturday, March 15, 2014

FotoBella Sketch Challenge

   We have another sketch for you to try, for a chance to win an I want it all bundle from www.fotobella.com.

Deadline to submit your layout is March 31.

Here are a  couple of ways you can enter:

Upload your layout on our Facebook Challenge Page.

Or submit a photo of your layout on Twitter or Instagram by using the hashtag #FotoBellaChallengeMar2014

For bonus entries have your friends vote for your layout on Facebook, retweet your submit and sharing on all three of these sites. But don't forget to use 

....Also make sure to come back and comment on the FotoBella Blog that you have entered.





I just LOVE this older photo of my younger cousin Ashley! It's hard to believe she was in the same grade here as my son is now. 
I started this page by cutting out the flower in the center with an exacto knife. I then adhered the photo onto the back and hand-sewed the edges in red embroidery floss. The flower that I cut out has the red and white striped brad, and was colored with Prisma markers as well as the other big flower behind it. The bottom half of the layout has a light wash of Gesso to make the banner stand out, which was cut from different papers in the bundle. I stitched a circle over the banner using black and white embroidery thread. I finished it up with some chipboard for the title and the rest of the flower pieces. 

Here's a closer look at the flowers and the coloring that I did.


Thanks for looking! I can't wait to see your entries!

Friday, March 14, 2014

Spice Market Flower Tutorial ~ FotoBella DT

I absolutely LOVE the new Basic Grey Spice Market I want it all bundle from FotoBella!! It's so exotic and colorful, and packed FULL of papers and embellishments! After making a layout and this card it feels like I haven't even put a dent in it.


I started this card by cutting out the white (cumin) paper with some scallop decorative scissors and spritzing and splattering with some Glimmer Mists. I cut a 4" circle with my Cricut Expression from the red (paprika) paper and adhered the you make me smile sticker onto it. I cut a strip of black cardstock and punched it. To make it go around the circle I cut slits every 1/4" right up to the punching and glued it piece by piece behind the circle.

I made the flower out of a half sheet of the sea salt paper, some black soot Distress Ink, glue, scissors, and chipboard.

Directions:

1. Get out your sea salt paper and using a pencil and ruler, draw a straight line from the end of the red petal to the end of the black stem on both sides.

2.Cut and ink 5 petals using black soot Distress Ink.

3. Cut a small to medium circle from some scrap paper and mark the center with a pencil. Now curl up your petals and glue around the center slightly overlapping each petal as you go.

4. Repeat all the previous steps with the inner blue petals and glue them in between the larger petals.

5. Now just add a small piece of chipboard or even a brad or stud that comes in the bundle to finish it off.

Thanks for your visit!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Inspirational #111: One last snowfall ~ Red Rubber Designs DT

I've been having so much fun hosting and playing along with Red Rubber Inspirationals! Lynda's hosting this week with Inspirational #111: one last snowfall, so I created this card using the Ready, set, snow set, the Cheery Christmas set, and Speckle Background stamp.


I used white cardstock which I misted with Lindy's Stamp Gang (Witch's Potion Purple) and Glimer Mists (Jack Frost and Slate). It made a beautiful combination to set off those snowflakes which I embossed with Ranger Seafoam white.

I took my inspiration from  sketch #2 used for the March Card Sketch Challenge @ Scrapbook.com.


Here's a close up! 

Thanks for looking!

Monday, March 10, 2014

Capture the Moments with Basic Grey ~ FotoBella DT

It was definitely happy mail for me when I got the new Basic Grey Spice Market I want it all bundle from FotoBella! That same day I also got this old photo from my Mom, of my Grandma, who passed away last year, and my son, who was just 2 or 3 years old. It was a perfect match with this fabulous bundle of goodies!




I took my inspiration from sketch #110 @ sketchabilites.



I started by stamping the background using Prima's Script stamp. Then I dripped some aqua paint over it and splattered a little on top. To mimic the pattern of the chair in the photo, I used some gesso and Prima's Netting Stencil onto black cardstock. I also used Prima's stitching stamps for the circles. 



The aqua flowers were already made using my Tattered and Torn Flower Tutorial. Thanks for looking!



Thursday, March 6, 2014

Inspirational #110 ~ Stamp your own background

Happy Thursday! It's time for another stamping challenge at Red Rubber Inspirationals, with Inspirational #110, hosted by Kendra, to stamp your own background. Here's the sample that I scrapped of my little sister, when she lived in Hawaii.


I used the Hemingway Collection for all of  the papers, except for an old piece of Basic Grey paper that's right behind the photo. I started by stamping the background with the For Everything Stamp Set using Palette Inks (burnt umber and burnt sienna). Then I stamped the fern frond and colored it in with Prisma markers using two different colors. The tag came in the paper collection, which I stamped using speckle background. The pineapple was cut out of the same background paper with my Cricut Expression, using the Life is a beach cartridge, and a mix of inks. I also stamped the title, which is the twist this month for the stamping challenge that I host @ Scrapbook.com, using the alpha-hip stamp set and Palette Ink (cote d'azure).



I misted the background a little with Glimmer Mist (jack frost), and then used inks for the water marks using the Well Rounded stencil from The Crafter's Workshop. As soon as I saw the round tag in the collection I thought of a coaster, so I hid the hole under the photo.  I also added some burlap which I fringed the edges of, to give it a more Hawaiian feel. 


Thanks for stopping by!